Air suspension assemblies are known in the art for use on automotive vehicles. Such air suspension assemblies typically include a plurality of air springs, each for interconnecting the body and one of the wheels of the automotive vehicle for damping relative forces between the body and the wheels, and for adjusting the height of the automotive vehicle.
In order to control such air suspension assemblies, air management systems are commonly utilized. The air springs are commonly connected via one or more air lines to a manifold block of the air management system. The air management system may also include a compressor and/or pump including a motor coupled to the manifold to provide pressurized air to fill the air springs. Because moisture can be an issue in air suspension systems, air management systems may also include a dryer. While high flow rates may be desirable during inflation or exhausting of the air springs, high flow rates can, nevertheless, adversely affect the operation of the dryer and/or allow excessive levels of moisture to reside in the air management system.
Additionally, when raising or lowering the vehicle, it is desirable to maintain a constant vehicle “horizon,” also referred to as concurrent leveling or one motion leveling. In other words, it is important that the air springs in the front of the vehicle are inflated and/or exhausted in a consistent manner as compared to the air springs in the rear of the vehicle, so that the vehicle stays generally level front to rear as it is raised or lowered. Pressure levels in the air springs in the front of the vehicle and the rear of the vehicle can vary depending on the weight distribution of the vehicle and loading of the vehicle at any given time. Such differences in the pressure levels can further complicate the ability of the air management system to maintain the vehicle “horizon.” Thus, there remains a need for improvements to air management systems and methods of operating the air management system to provide for a level vehicle orientation front to rear as the vehicle is raised or lowered while maintaining dryer operation and proper moisture levels within the air suspension and air management system.